How to Write a Pitch in Velveteen
Updated June 11, 2026
The copy editors read lives in three fields on the Marketing tab: Hook (3 to 175 chars) opens with what the music sounds like, Story (3 to 350 chars) adds context and themes, and Big picture (3 to 175 chars) explains why it matters now. Support them with accurate genre and mood tags, specific similar artists, and concrete marketing drivers.
Editorial teams read pitches in seconds. Your job is to make those seconds count. Give them an accurate sonic picture, enough context to care, and proof you are promoting the release seriously. Velveteen enforces minimum lengths so empty pitches cannot ship, but passing readiness is the floor, not the ceiling.
The three copy fields
All three fields live on the Marketing tab of the pitch detail page.
Hook
Open with what it sounds like. Genre + mood + one vivid detail or comparison. Example: 'Atmospheric indie-electronic: glassy synths, live drums, vocals buried like a voicemail.'
Story
Why this record exists. Themes, how it was made, what changed since the last release. Two to four sentences of real context.
Big picture
Why now. Tour legs, sync wins, playlist momentum, press lined up, or a cultural moment the release connects to.
Tip
Tags and metadata
Genre and moods route your pitch to the right editorial bucket. Pick one primary genre and one to three moods that honestly describe the music. Over-tagging across ten genres forces curators to guess.
Similar artists are a routing shortcut, not a wish list. Choose artists whose listeners would realistically enjoy your track. The display artist field should match how you appear on DSPs. Inconsistencies between pitch copy and release metadata raise flags.
Marketing context
The social media rollout plan and marketing drivers show you are not expecting editorial to do all the work. Be specific about channels, territories, and timing. If you have paid spend planned, complete the marketing spend rows with amounts and date ranges. Partial rows fail readiness.
The private listening link is part of the writing package in practice. If editors cannot hear the music easily, the copy never gets a fair read. Use a reliable link and test it before submitting.
Heads up
Frequently asked questions
How long should my hook be?+
Between 3 and 175 characters, often one or two sentences. Lead with genre, mood, and a concrete sonic reference. Editors skim dozens of pitches; the hook decides whether they keep reading.
What belongs in the story vs big picture?+
Story is about the music: themes, production approach, narrative behind the record. Big picture is about timing and traction: tour dates, press, sync placements, fan growth, or why this release fits the current moment.
Should I compare myself to famous artists?+
Use similar artists for routing: pick names whose sound actually matches yours. Misleading comparisons hurt more than humble accurate ones help.
What are marketing drivers?+
Concrete promotion plans with territories: radio support, playlist trade campaigns, TikTok push, press coverage, etc. Vague 'we will promote on socials' is weaker than 'US college radio campaign, 6-week TikTok seeding, two UK press premieres.'
Can Velveteen help me write the copy?+
Velveteen offers tooling including a Spotify pitch generator on eligible plans. Treat AI output as a draft and edit for accuracy and your voice before submitting.
Related articles
Overview
The full pitching workflow: what a pitch is, when to submit, what goes in it, and how Velveteen tracks it from draft to delivery.
Pitch readiness
The readiness checklist: required fields across Overview, Artist, Music, and Marketing tabs.
What is a pitch?
Your editorial submission: linked to a release, separate from distribution, tracked through Velveteen review.